Shoe for a furniture leg



y 5 R. G. REINEMAN 2,744,283

SHOE FOR A FURNITURE LEG Filed Jan. 25, 1954 1 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/ III/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII United States Patent SHOE FOR A FURNITURE LEG Richard G. Reineman, Muskegon, Mich., assignor to The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a corporation of Delaware Application January 25, 1954, Serial No. 405,845

Claims. (Cl. 1642) This invention relates to a shoe for a furniture leg, said shoe being adapted to receive a metal glide in its bottom portion to provide a sliding surface therefor.

It is a general object of this invention to produce a new and improved shoe for a furniture leg having a bore for receiving and firmly retaining the end of a furniture leg and constructed and arranged to receive and firmly retain a horizontally positioned metal glide in its bottom portion so that said glide may easily be mounted in or removed from said shoe without the use of special tools and yet will remain in position under all conditions of use.

Another object of the invention is to produce an oblique truncated conical shoe of resilient material having a tapered bore therein to tightly receive the dome-shaped,

metal-capped end of a tubular furniture leg, said resilient material fitting over the upper edge of said metal cap to aid in securing the shoe to the leg.

Yet another object of the invention is to produce a shoe of the type described in the preceding paragraph, said shoe having a pre-formed annular groove in the bottom thereof to receive and firmly retain the flange of a metal glide having a substantially horizontal bottom surface, said flange being substantially the same shape as said groove and initially extending upwardly and inwardly from the base of the metal glide and terminating in an outwardly inclined rim, the top of said flange being positioned above the lower portion of the dome, and said dome, shoe and flange coacting to securely hold the metal glide in position.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the shoe having one end of an inclined tapered tubular furniture leg inserted therein and embodying a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the shoe and glide taken along line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the capped furniture leg positioned in the shoe;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 without the capped furniture leg and showing the glide in a removed position from the shoe;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the glide; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the shoe and glide with a capped furniture leg positioned in the shoe and showing an embodiment of the invention wherein the shoe is constructed to receive a furniture leg having a greater inclination from the vertical than the furniture leg shown in the preceding views and an untapered end portion for insertion in the shoe.

While I have shown in the drawings and shall herein describe in detail preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that I do not hereby intend to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed. It is contemplated that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit as by an inner circular wedge-shaped body portion 23 of and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, a shoe comprises a resilient body 1, preferably of molded rubber or other yieldable material, having an oblique, truncated, conical form with a substantially horizontal, slightly convex bottom surface 2, the body being provided with an inclined tapered tubular bore 3 for receiving the end cap 4, of an inclined tubular metal furniture leg 5. A pre-formed annular groove 6 is provided in the underside of the shoe adjacent its periphery for receiving and firmly retaining a cup-shaped metal glide 7.

The front portion 8 of the shoe is inclined with the set of the leg while the rear portion 9 of the embodiment in Figs. 1 through 4 is substantially vertical and the rear portion 10 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 is inclined to a small degree with the greater inclination of the leg to compensate therefor. The two embodiments are substantially the same height to provide a protective cover encircling the bottom of the leg as insurance against damaging contact with objects supported above floor level. A lower peripheral portion 11 around the bottom of the shoe provides the glide with a bumper portion to prevent damage from or to objects adjacent floor level.

The shoe is adapted to snugly receive the end of a furniture leg in the bore 3. Two forms of leg structure are illustrated for use with either embodiment of the shoe, a leg having a tapered end portion 5a of substantially the same shape as the bore 3, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, and

a leg having a true cylindrical end portion 5b as shown in Fig. 6. In both forms, the end cap 4- is substantially identical in shape and size. The bore 3 is constructed in the same manner for use with either form of leg structure and as shown in Fig. 4 comprises a tubular tapered portion 3a provided with an enlarged, cylindrical groove 12 forming an edge 13 with the tapered portion 3a, and a cut-away dome-shaped'portion 14 below the groove. The diameter of the upper peripheral portion 2a of the bore is substantially the same as the adjacent outer diameter of either form of leg when positioned in the bore while the portion of the bore extending therebelow is of slightly smaller overall dimensions than the corresponding portions of both capped leg structures. The arrangement is such that the top edge 2:: of the shoe receives the adjacent portion of either leg in a loose even fit so that the edge will not split and the lower portion of either leg in a tight fit increasing in degree with the decreasing diameter of the tapered portion 3a. The end cap has a cylindrical portion 15 with an upper edge 16 and a domeshaped bottom portion 17 so that although of slightly greater size, it has substantially the same shape as the corresponding recess 12 and dome-shaped portion 14 of the bore and is under a tighter fit than the adjacent upper portion of the leg. The rubber edge 13 tightly overlaps cap edge 16 to aid in retaining the capped end of the leg securely in the shoe.

The cup-shaped metal glide 7 is provided with a round, horizontally-positioned, slightly convex bottom portion 18 and a circular flange 19 having an upwardly and inwardly inclined portion 2% terminating in an outwardly inclined rim 21 so that the flange is substantially the same shape as the annular groove 6. The shoe portion 22, circumscribed by the annular groove, is substantially the same shape as the cup-shaped metal glide, but is ,of a diameter slightly greater than the inner diameter of said glide so that when the glide is pressed into the groove the portion 22 is compressed slightly and acts against the inner side of the inwardly inclined flange portion to hold the glide in position. Thus the glide is maintained in position by the compressed body portion 22 as well the bumper portion 11 acting against the underside of the outwardly inclined rim 21.

The end cap 4 of the furniture leg when positioned in the shoe coacts with the compressed body portion 22 to further secure the glide in position and to this end the' cap is provided with the dome shaped bottom 17, the lowest point of which is positioned substantially in alignment with the vertical center line of the glide and below the center of the rim. Thus substantially all of the weight load borne by the shoe is initially transmitted from the lowest portion of the dome to the central portion 22 of the resilient material confined by the glide to cause substantially uniform increased compression of said body portion 22 against the inner side of the inwardly inclined flange portion to hold said glide firmly in position.

When' the shoe is not supporting a weight load, the dome does not transmit a load to the body portion 22 except for slight compression thereof due to expansion of groove 12 and dome portion 14 to receive the slightly larger end cap 4 and the glide may be inserted in the shoe by simply pressing it into position or withdrawing it by an easy prying motion with an ordinary screw driver or the like; thus a sliding surface may be quickly and easily provided in the shoe according to the desire of the purchaser and without the use of special tools or burdensome effort.

It is thus to be seen that I have disclosed a shoe for tightly receiving the capped end of a furniture leg and constructed and arranged so that a sliding surface may easily be inserted or withdrawn from it and yet will remain securely in position during all conditions of use. This is particularly important in regard to school furniture and results in a substantial saving of time and effort when a large number of shoes need be used interchangeably with or without the glides as occasion demands. Furthermore, the glide is entirely insulated from the leg so that the vibrations of one are not imparted to the other. The slightly convex bottom surface of the glide insures smooth sliding movement over any kind of a floor surface or covering while the height of the shoe and bumper portion insures against damaging contact with other objects. These and many other advantages may be realized by the use of the shoe which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and easily assembled with the furniture leg and glide.

I claim:

I. A shoe for an inclined metal tubular furniture leg having a metal cap on its lower end provided with a domeshaped bottom and a cylindrical upper portion terminating to form an edge around the leg, said shoe comprising; an oblique truncated conical rubber body having a substantially horizontal bottom surface and an inclined downwardly extending inwardly tapered tubular bore with a dome-shaped bottom portion and an adjacent upper cylindrical groove of substantially the same shape as the cap, said bore being adapted to receive the capped end of a furniture leg so that an upper edge of said groove fits over an edged the cap to aid in securing the rubber body to the leg, the fit being such that the rubber is adapted to loosely encircle the leg at the upper extremity of the bore and tightly receive the lower portion of the leg in an increasing degree with the decreasing diameter of the tapered bore, said rubber body being constructed and arrangedto upwardly encircle the leg to provide a protective covering therefor, said body having an annular groove in-its underside adjacent its periphery, a cup-shaped metal glide having a circular substantially horizontal slightly convex floor-engaging surface and an upwardly and inwardly inclined circumferential flange portion terminating at its upper extremity in an upwardly and outwardly inclined rim and positioned in said annular groove, said annular groove having substantially the same shape as the flange but being provided with an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of said flange so that the rubber material confined by the flange is compressed thereby and acts to hold the glide in position below the dome-shaped bottom of the bore, said'bore extending below the level of the rim and being adapted to receive the cap of the furniture leg so that the lowest point of the dome-shaped bottom of said cap is substantially over the center of the glide to force the rubber material disposed between said cap and flange against the flange to securely hold the glide in position, and a lower peripheral portion of said body outwardly of said flange constituting a continuous elastic ring around the flange and adapted with the rim of said flange to interlockingly maintain the glide in position.

2. A shoe for use with a furniture leg comprising;-an oblique truncated conical body of resilient material hav ing a substantially horizontal bottom surface and an inclined bore for receiving the end of a furniture leg, said body being constructed and arranged to upwardly encircle the end of a furniture leg when positioned in said bore to provide a protective covering therefor, said body having an annular groove in its underside adjacent its periphery, a cup-shaped glide of non-resilient material having a circular substantially horizontal slightly convex floor-engaging surface and an upwardly and inwardly inclined circumferential flange portion terminating at its upper extremity in an upwardly and outwardly inclined rim and positioned in said groove, said groove having substantially the same shape as said flange but with an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of said flange so that the resilient material confined by said flange is compressed thereby and acts to hold the glide in position below the bottom of the bore, said bore extending below the level of said rim and being adapted to receive the end of a furniture leg so that said leg acts to force the resilient material disposed between said furniture leg end and flange against said flange to securely hold the glide in position, and a lower peripheral portion of said body outwardly of said flange constituting a continuous elastic ring around said flange and adapted with the rim of said flange to interlockingly maintain the glide in position.

3. A shoe for the end of an inclined tapered tubular furniture leg having a cap on its lower end provided with a dome-shaped bottom portion, said shoe comprising; an oblique truncated conical rubber body having a substantially horizontal bottom surface and an inclined tapered tubular bore with a dome-shaped bottom portion, said bore being adapted to receive the capped end of a furniture leg having substantially the same shape as said bore, said rubber body being constructed and arranged to upwardly encircle said leg to provide a protective covering therefor, said body having an annular groove in its underside adjacent its periphery, a cup-shaped glide having a round substantially horizontal slightly convex floor-engaging surface and an upwardly and inwardly inclined circumferential flange portion terminating at its upper extremity in an upwardly and outwardly inclined rimand positioned in said groove, said groove having substantially the same shape as said flange but being provided with an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of said' flange'so that the rubber material confined bysaid flange is compressed thereby and acts to hold'the' glide in position below thedome-shaped bottom of the bore;

4. A shoefor use with a furniture leg comprising; a truncated conical body of resilient material having a substantially horizontal bottom surface and a tapered tubular bore with a dome-shaped bottom portion and an adjacent upper cylindrical groove, said bore being adapted to receive one end of a furniture leg having a lower portion substantially the same shape as the dome-shaped bottom and cylindrical groove of the bore so that an upper edge of said cylindrical groove interlocks with an edge portion of the leg to secure the body to the leg when said leg is positioned therein, said body being constructed and arranged to provide a protective covering for the lower end of a furniture leg, said body having an annular groove in its underside adjacent its periphery, said groove having and upwardly and inwardly inclined lower portion and an 7 outwardly inclined upper portion adapted to receive and firmly retain a glide flange having substantially the same shape, said bore extending below the level of said annular groove with the lowest point of the dome-shaped bottom substantially over the center of the body portion circumscribed by said groove, and a lower peripheral portion of said body outwardly of said groove constituting a continuous elastic bumper ring around said shoe.

5. A shoe for use with a furniture leg comprising; a body of resilient material having a substantially horizontal bottom surface and a bore forv tightly receiving the end of a furniture leg, said body having an annular groove in its underside adjacent its periphery, a glide of nonresilient material having a substantially horizontal floor engaging surface and an upwardly and inwardly inclined circumferential flange portion terminating at its upper extremity in a rim inclined upwardly and slightly outwardly and positioned in said groove, said groove having substantially the same shape as said flange but with an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of said flange so that the resilient material confined by said flange is compressed thereby and acts to hold the glide in position below the bottom of the bore, and said bore extending below the level of said rim and terminating substantially over the center of said glide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

